Water containing 20% ethanol was given for a period of 3, 6 and 9 weeks to rats, and changes in hepatic lipid peroxide, glutathione, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione transferases were investigated. Lipid peroxide levels and glutathione peroxidase activities remained unchanged after 3 weeks and started to increase thereafter. Glutathione levels and glutathione transferase activities were significantly increased following ethanol consumption. These results show that chronic ethanol consumption stimulates hepatic lipid peroxidation in rats. This stimulation is not dependent on glutathione depletion and the increased glutathione peroxidase and glutathione transferase activities may reflect an adaptive change against ethanol-induced lipid peroxide toxicity.